Which is more Open Minded: Flexibility, or Non-Flexibility?
I’m kinda getting tired of the Mac crowd.
BTW — I am typing this on a Mac. I use a Mac because that’s what I have at home. It’s OK I guess. For work I have a Windows notebook. It’s OK I guess.
Mac people definitely look down their snout at anyone else, even Linux users. But what kills me about it, is they invoke strange religious-like ideas about “the computing experience” and “truly being freed from (Microsoft usually).” In the same breathe they will say Windows machines are too flexible, require too much customization. Then they’ll say they are freed up to do what they want on their Mac yet support the idea that you cant open up a new Mac without a special screwdriver to change out simple hardware pieces.
its all very strange and frustrating to me. It reminds me very much of the Harley Davidson crowd who ride the motorcycle for its looks, claiming its the best; but its the cost that really sets them off and what they are into. The social status. And, BTW, I ride and Ultra. It’s OK I guess.
So being that Macs are less flexible, how does that promote more open minded thinking? Right, it doesn’t. Less flexibility cannot mean more open minded. Often Windows users are called “sheep” — but its Mac that tries to ban things from its “experience” like Flash.
Recently I even had words with an Applyte about iPods and iPads. I stated that they weren’t the first, just like iPads weren’t the first. That Apple pioneered marketing, and in some cases usability. But there were Archos and Creative mp3 pods long before Apple. And Windows Tablets long before the iPad. In fact, there were a lot of things way before the iPhone. Treo’s and Blackberrys and Palms, Oh My!
So I guess if I am going to be forced to pick sides, I’ll say I am a Windows/Unix guy and that a Mac is just an iteration of a unix machine and that’s all. The UI is a bit clunky kinda like Gnome. They are all OK, I guess. A a developer I keep my skepticism of everything.
But I WILL admit that Apple sure sells a great snakeoil. Its very compelling. They are good at figuring out the 80% user experience; and if not for the cost of their goods many would rightly migrate to them for now.
However I wish the attitude would go away. I was working with CHEF, trying to do some Amazon Ec2 config stuff — and there was not much on using a Windows machine (that my company gave me) to install and use CHEF for Windows. The Wiki went out of its way in fact NOT to mention windows. WHY? Is that funny to lock 90% of OS users out of your product? Or is it “good business”?
I hunted around for the numbers BTW — here they are from Netmarketshare dotcom:
WIN MAC IOS LINUX JAVA ME OTHER
| April, 2010 | 91.46% | 5.32% | 0.69% | 1.05% | 0.79% | 0.70% |
| February, 2011 |
89.69% | 5.19% |
1.81% | 0.92% | 1.04% | 1.35% |
Interesting — the Mac share dropped from last year!!!! I expect Windows to drop becasue maintaining over 90% has got to be near impossible with Android and Ubuntu etc., but who would have thought?
Guess I’ll just take my medicine when I am around the Mac Purists. After all, I never argue with the Watchtower peddlers at my door. its just better to remain flexible.